· Buddhism came forward in eastern Asia because of the growing problems of Classical China
· Emphasized intense devotion and faithfulness (stressing spiritual concerns beyond daily cares of life on earth)
· Traveled beyond India’s borders, only a small minority faith in India
· Chief agents of expansion and leadership= monks
· Buddhism divided the “faithful among a minority who abandoned earthly life in favor of spiritual dedication and the larger number who continued to work in the world while doing the best they could to meet their spiritual obligations”
· Bodhisattvas, a doctrine that was established a couple centuries after Buddha’s death, held that some could attain nirvana through meditation while choosing to stay in the world as saints and aid other people by prayer and example
· The role of bodhisattvas in expanding the prospects of escape for ordinary people by leading them in prayer and advising them through spiritual matters was vital
· Evolved after the Han dynasty’s fall (an extraterrestrial afterlife was appealing)
· Monasteries in India and the Himalaya Mountains= spiritual centers. Strong roots in east Asia
· Mahayana or the Greater Vehicle was the east Asian form of Buddhism that preserved essential beliefs
· Emphasis on Buddha as a heavenly savior increased; statues countered the Buddhist opposition
· East Asian Buddhism encouraged new artistic interests in China and Japan- pagoda style of temple design and states of Buddha
· Impact on women- Buddhists believed they had souls like men
· Culture generated changes- phrases like “husband supports wife” to “husband controls his wife”
· Confucian leaders thought Buddhist beliefs were not appropriate political interests. Attacked Buddhist faith
· Daoism improved the organization of Buddhism
· Greater lasting influence than other parts of Asia
· 500 million today are Buddhists (mainly in Asia)
Rise & Spread of Christianity
· Emphasized intense devotion and faithfulness (stressing spiritual concerns beyond daily cares of life on earth)
· One of the largest two faiths in the world
· Role in formation of two postclassical civilizations
· Began in reaction to inflexibility that had developed in the Jewish priesthood during two centuries prior to the birth of Jesus Christ
· Messiah=savior
· Jesus of Nazareth believed by Christians to be son of God sent to earth to forgive human sin crystallized the reform movement of a messiah coming to earth for the last judgment on humankind
· Jesus preached in Israel; founded a new religion. After his crucifixion, his disciples expected his next return would be the end of the world
· Message of Jesus: there is one single supreme being, God, who loved and cared for humankind despite all sins made by humans on earth
· righteous life was one dedicated to adoration of God
· God sent Jesus to preach his holy word; he sacrificed himself to prepare his followers for likelihood of an afterlife in heaven with God
· Reach of the Roman Empire made it easy for Christian missionaries to travel in Europe and the Middle East to spread the word beyond Persia, Axum, and Ethiopia
· Paul a Christian leader, an early convert- under his guidance Christians began to see themselves as part of a new religion rather than part of Jewish reform movement- welcomed non-Jews. Encouraged formal organization within the church to govern them; bishop was appointed
· Christian doctrine was organized by writings of several disciples into what is the New Testament of the Christian bible
· Competed against other religions during first three centuries after Christ
· By the time Rome had collapsed, Christianity demonstrated spiritual power with a strong organization
· New church faced controversies over doctrine
· Tenet involved a complex doctrine of the Trinity- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost
· Theology through formative writers like Augustine- If God is all-powerful, can mere human beings have free will?
· Christianity contained earlier polytheistic traditions- celebration of Christ’s birth (winter solstice) example of syncretism which allowed Christianity to benefit from authority of selective older rituals
Bodhisattvas
a doctrine that was established a couple centuries after Buddha’s death, held that some could attain nirvana through meditation while choosing to stay in the world as saints and aid other people by prayer and example
Mahayana
The Greater Vehicle was the east Asian form of Buddhism that preserved essential beliefs. Emphasis on Buddha as a heavenly savior increased; statues countered the Buddhist opposition
Jesus of Nazareth
believed by Christians to be son of God sent to earth to forgive human sin crystallized the reform movement of a messiah coming to earth for the last judgment on humankind
Paul
A Christian leader, an early convert- under his guidance Christians began to see them as part of a new religion instead of part of Jewish reorganization association- welcomed non-Jews. Encouraged official organization within the church to govern them; bishop was chosen
Pope
From the word papa or father- a centralized church organization under the guidance of the bishop of Rome who gave the Western church extraordinary power and self-rule
Benedict
Started a monastery among Italian peasants whom he drew away from the devotion to the sun god Apollo. Encouraged a disciplined life with prayer and spiritual realization- work in agriculture and study
· Buddhism came forward in eastern Asia because of the growing problems of Classical China
· Emphasized intense devotion and faithfulness (stressing spiritual concerns beyond daily cares of life on earth)
· Traveled beyond India’s borders, only a small minority faith in India
· Chief agents of expansion and leadership= monks
· Buddhism divided the “faithful among a minority who abandoned earthly life in favor of spiritual dedication and the larger number who continued to work in the world while doing the best they could to meet their spiritual obligations”
· Bodhisattvas, a doctrine that was established a couple centuries after Buddha’s death, held that some could attain nirvana through meditation while choosing to stay in the world as saints and aid other people by prayer and example
· The role of bodhisattvas in expanding the prospects of escape for ordinary people by leading them in prayer and advising them through spiritual matters was vital
· Evolved after the Han dynasty’s fall (an extraterrestrial afterlife was appealing)
· Monasteries in India and the Himalaya Mountains= spiritual centers. Strong roots in east Asia
· Mahayana or the Greater Vehicle was the east Asian form of Buddhism that preserved essential beliefs
· Emphasis on Buddha as a heavenly savior increased; statues countered the Buddhist opposition
· Organization efforts- priests, temples, creeds, rituals
· East Asian Buddhism encouraged new artistic interests in China and Japan- pagoda style of temple design and states of Buddha
· Impact on women- Buddhists believed they had souls like men
· Culture generated changes- phrases like “husband supports wife” to “husband controls his wife”
· Confucian leaders thought Buddhist beliefs were not appropriate political interests. Attacked Buddhist faith
· Daoism improved the organization of Buddhism
· Greater lasting influence than other parts of Asia
· 500 million today are Buddhists (mainly in Asia)
Rise & Spread of Christianity
· Emphasized intense devotion and faithfulness (stressing spiritual concerns beyond daily cares of life on earth)
· One of the largest two faiths in the world
· Role in formation of two postclassical civilizations
· Began in reaction to inflexibility that had developed in the Jewish priesthood during two centuries prior to the birth of Jesus Christ
· Messiah=savior
· Jesus of Nazareth believed by Christians to be son of God sent to earth to forgive human sin crystallized the reform movement of a messiah coming to earth for the last judgment on humankind
· Jesus preached in Israel; founded a new religion. After his crucifixion, his disciples expected his next return would be the end of the world
· Message of Jesus: there is one single supreme being, God, who loved and cared for humankind despite all sins made by humans on earth
· righteous life was one dedicated to adoration of God
· God sent Jesus to preach his holy word; he sacrificed himself to prepare his followers for likelihood of an afterlife in heaven with God
· Reach of the Roman Empire made it easy for Christian missionaries to travel in Europe and the Middle East to spread the word beyond Persia, Axum, and Ethiopia
· Paul a Christian leader, an early convert- under his guidance Christians began to see themselves as part of a new religion rather than part of Jewish reform movement- welcomed non-Jews. Encouraged formal organization within the church to govern them; bishop was appointed
· Christian doctrine was organized by writings of several disciples into what is the New Testament of the Christian bible
· Competed against other religions during first three centuries after Christ
· By the time Rome had collapsed, Christianity demonstrated spiritual power with a strong organization
· New church faced controversies over doctrine
· Tenet involved a complex doctrine of the Trinity- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost
· Theology through formative writers like Augustine- If God is all-powerful, can mere human beings have free will?
· Christianity contained earlier polytheistic traditions- celebration of Christ’s birth (winter solstice) example of syncretism which allowed Christianity to benefit from authority of selective older rituals